Unexpected Complications
by EternallyEC
Summary: Chapters 4 to 8 added! What if Natalie had gotten pregnant by the Cris 'imposter' and John was the only one who knew the truth?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, don't sue.

**Author's Note:** Only I could decide to write two one-shots and end up starting another series. Becki gave me this idea I believe the first time we talked and the muse suddenly decided to take it on LOL!

And remember guys--reviews make me write faster!

**Summary: **Natalie believes herself to be pregnant with an imposter's baby, but John knows the truth. Will he tell her or her so-called dead husband the truth, or will his own selfish desires keep the truth hidden until it's too late?

**Title: **Unexpected Complications

**Prologue**

Natalie placed a hand on her protruding belly as she leaned over the pool table to take her shot. John frowned slightly as he waited, wondering how the hell he had gotten himself into this mess. He was being torn apart inside, and all because of one stupid mistake. He had trusted someone to make his own decision, but now there was a hell of a lot more at stake.

The question that was constantly on his mind concerned Natalie and her baby in a huge way. But did he dare tell her that, or the baby's father? He sighed, running his hands through his hair as Natalie snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Where the hell are you McBain?" He smiled weakly. "Right here with you, Vega."

An hour later he had won the second game. "Damn, you're losing your edge." "Maybe you should coach me again?" Natalie asked seriously. John swallowed. "I really don't think that would be such a good idea," he whispered as he turned to walk away. She reached out and grabbed his arm, turning him back around to face her. "John, what the hell? Is this because of the baby?" She saw the fear flicker in his eyes and rolled her eyes.

"John…" He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm being an asshole—I should just go." "John, just stop." She lay a gentle hand on his upper arm. "The entire Y-chromosome carrying portion of my family is terrified of me and this baby right now, okay? It's just a guy thing, and I don't blame you—especially since it represents such a hard time in both of our lives." John fought the tears back as he saw the pain in Natalie's eyes. "Just the thought that the father of my child is a cold-blooded murderer who gave me the hope that my husband was alive, only to make me suffer the grief again makes me want to curl up and die."

She saw the guilt cross his face and continued, moving her hand from his arm to caress his cheek. "Then I feel the baby move and I realize that he has nothing more to do with this child than genetics. This baby is mine, pure and simple. She's going to grow up surrounded with everything I never had." She smiled as she rubbed her stomach. Natalie's face lit up as she felt the baby kick and she instinctively grabbed John's hand, placing it underneath her own.

She smiled as she watched John have the same reaction every male seemed to have to feeling little feet kick under his touch. First his eyes widened with shock, and he looked at her dumbfounded. "Does—" he swallowed. "Does it always feel like this?" he asked. She nodded. "Like someone is trying to kick her way out?" she laughed. He smiled as his eyes filled with tears. "I've got to tell you something," he almost whispered. Natalie nodded quietly and lifted their hands off her stomach, without losing contact she quietly led him from the bar.

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, don't sue.

**Author's Note:** So... this is one of two series that I started and then promptly forgot about. But thanks to Missy's urgings I have picked it up again and chapter 3 is almost complete. :) I hope you enjoy it!

**Summary: **Natalie believes herself to be pregnant with an imposter's baby, but John knows the truth. Will he tell her or her so-called dead husband the truth, or will his own selfish desires keep the truth hidden until it's too late?

**Part 2**

Natalieopened the carriage house door and walked in, suddenly feeling self-conscious as she tossed her purse on the couch. "Do you want a beer? I think there might be some left from when Kevin lived here."

"No, I'm good. Should we sit down?" She nodded; her heart suddenly pounding as she moved her purse to the ground and slowly sat down. John took the seat on the other side of the couch, leaving a cushion between them. It might as well have been an island, Natalie thought idly as she waited for him to say something.

John couldn't take his eyes off of Natalie's face as he searched for the words he knew would bring her world crashing to the ground.

"Natalie—"

He was interrupted by Natalie's cell phone ringing. "I'm sorry." He leaned down, taking the phone out of her purse and handing it to her. "It's fine."

She answered it, mouthing another 'Sorry' to John. He waved it off as she talked to Kelly and made plans for them to have lunch. After a moment she was finally able to get off the phone.

"I'm so sorry. What were you saying?"

He hesitated, drinking in the sight of her. She was smiling more happily than she had in months and her eyes had finally gotten their old sparkle back. He opened his mouth and then shut it again.

He knew he was a coward and selfish, but he couldn't be the one to take that away from her… or himself. He knew that when she found out the truth she would never speak to him again, and he didn't think he could live with that.

"John?" Her voice was gentle but it was enough to bring him back to the moment.

"Are you okay? You seemed to get lost for a minute there."

"I'm fine. I just—I can't believe I'm getting a chance to say this."

"Say what?" Her voice was tinged with a hint of worry, but there was another emotion evident that he couldn't quite discern—hope?

He leaned over and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I should have told you this a long time ago. I love you, Natalie. I can understand if after all my stupid mistakes you don't think you can chance anything, but—"

He was cut off by Natalie's soft lips pressing against his. He wrapped his arms around her and moved as close to her as physical law—and her pregnant belly—would allow.

Natalie sighed as she melted into the kiss, and it was finished all too quickly as John pulled back. He pressed his forehead to hers, breathing heavily as he opened his eyes to see the confusion and desire swimming in the blue depths of her eyes.

"I don't think—" He took another deep breath as he pulled away slightly, still keeping her in his arms. "I don't think we should go any further until we talk."

She smiled. Another woman might have been offended by the fact that he had stopped things, but she knew that whatever John had to say had to be huge.

"Okay, but I have to warn you—unless you move out of reaching distance I'm not sure I can think coherently." She flashed him her warmest smile and he chuckled.

"You have a point." He couldn't resist kissing her again before he released her and moved to sit in the chair across from the couch.

"I don't think that we should just jump into anything—we've both been hurt before, both by others and each other. I want to take things slow… just see where they lead. I love you Natalie and I don't want to screw this up."

Natalie's eyes filled with tears at the tenderness she heard in his tone. "I agree," she began slowly. "We have hurt each other—some of the time intentionally, and even more often unintentionally. I think that slow would be good—just not as slow as we've been going, okay?"

He chuckled. "I'm not sure that I could go back to that, not after tonight."

She smiled and jumped as the clock chimed eleven o'clock. "Wow. I can't believe it's so late—not that it's actually late, but I have an early morning."

"Is that your polite, indirect way of saying 'get the hell out'?" His eyes twinkled with amusement as she flushed scarlet. "Of course it's not, I just—" Her voice trailed off when he began to laugh and she picked up a pillow, throwing it at him.

She couldn't hold back a shriek of laughter as he stood up and walked over to the couch. "John, don't you dare!" She struggled to her feet as he suddenly changed direction and headed into the kitchen. Suddenly there was a loud crash, and then a deathly silence.

"John?" she called out, a slight tinge of worry coloring her voice. "Damn it!" She let out the breath she'd been holding at John's words. She began to walk into the kitchen. "Natalie, don't take another step!" She stopped quickly, bringing her foot back from where she had almost stepped and looked down to see a large piece of glass where her foot had almost gone.

"What on earth—" John shook his head, unable to help the laugh that escaped him as he pointed at the large puddle of water that was still growing. Natalie shook her head, laughing helplessly as she leaned back against the wall and placed a hand on her belly.

"Were you going to dump that over my head?" she asked once their laughter had subsided. He gave her his most endearing smile and she cursed herself for melting so easily. "Yeah. That look in your eyes kind of makes me glad that I dropped the glass though."

He saw the shadow cross her eyes and then disappear so quickly he almost questioned if it had really been there to begin with. He slowly picked a careful path through the glass and gently touched her cheek.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head and turned her face from him, fighting back tears. "Hey," he said softly, moving his hand underneath her chin and gently turning her back to face him. "You can tell me anything."

"It's just—when I heard that crash…" Her voice trailed off but she had said enough. He slid his arms around her and held her as she buried her face into his shoulder.

After a moment she pulled back, rubbing her stomach as he gently wiped away her tears with his thumb. "I'm sorry," she whispered, gently gripping his wrist and holding his hand to her cheek. "I know I'm just being—"

"Hey. You're scared, that's nothing to be ashamed of. I can't promise much about the future but I can promise you this—Nobody is going to take me away from you without one hell of a fight." He leaned in and kissed her temple tenderly.

Natalie reached a hand up to gently caress his cheek, overwhelmed by his words.

"Thank you," she whispered, unable to say anything else. He smiled, leaning in to kiss her lovingly.

"Where are your cleaning supplies?" he asked, smiling to see the sparkle back in her eyes once the kiss was finished.

TO BE CONTINUED


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, don't sue.

**Summary: **Natalie believes herself to be pregnant with an imposter's baby, but John knows the truth. Will he tell her or her so-called dead husband the truth, or will his own selfish desires keep the truth hidden until it's too late?

**Title: **Unexpected Complications 3?

John smiled down at the small bundle in his arms as he sat in the chair beside Natalie's bed. "Mommy's a sleepy lady, huh?" He spoke in a soft, calm voice but he was anything but calm. Natalie's daughter was four days old, but her mother had yet to hold her. The birth had been difficult to say the least.

John shook his head to clear his thoughts the baby began to cry. He shifted her and began to bounce her in the way that the nurse had shown him. She immediately quieted, her large blue eyes staring into his as he smiled down at her.

His smile faded slightly as he looked from the baby to her sleeping mother. Questions flooded his mind as he reached out and took her hand into his, squeezing it gently. They were questions that he didn't have—and to be honest, that he didn't want--the answers to.

"Natalie, you have to wake up," he whispered. "Your little girl needs you… She doesn't even have a name yet. And _I_ need you. What's going to happen to us if you never wake up?"

He watched her closely for any reaction to his words, but she remained still, her breathing slow and even as she slept. John sighed as he felt the disappointment fill him. He squeezed her hand gently once more before releasing it and standing up, leaving the room.

The next day John watched with narrow eyes as the Buchanans huddled, trying to decide what to do with the baby in his arms; the little girl he had already come to think of as his own. Natalie still hadn't woken up, and the doctors had advised them to take the baby home and get her settled.

John felt his heart speed up and he pulled the baby just the slightest bit tighter against his chest as the group broke apart and Viki walked over. She smiled to relieve a bit of his tension.

"John, why don't you let Kevin hold the baby while we go for a short walk?"

He hesitated for a moment before gently kissing the baby's forehead and handing her to her uncle. He turned and walked away quickly as though he might change his mind if he stayed in the room any longer.

Viki followed, somehow meeting his brisk pace. After a moment he slowed to a stop and turned to face her.

"Just tell me that I can visit her. I already love her as if she were my own, Mrs. Davidson. I couldn't take it if you took that away from me—"

Viki's heart twisted at the pain that was evident in John's face and the tears in his eyes. "John, I appreciate your love and devotion to Natalie's child. It will help this transition to go that much more smoothly."

He merely looked at her, the slightest bit of hope in his eyes.

Viki smiled as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "With all of the craziness that is going on at Llanfair, with Tess and Nash and Nikki Smith, it's not exactly the proper place for a baby right now. And Kelly and Kevin are certainly not up for the responsibility.

We have all seen how dedicated you are to both Natalie and her child, and we all agreed that the best place for Natalie's daughter right now would be with you."

John couldn't speak as he tried to absorb what Viki had just told him. She—because he doubted that all, or even most, of the Buchanans had been very supportive of this idea—trusted him enough to allow him to take her granddaughter home with him?

After a moment he was finally able to choke out a "Thank you." She smiled as she patted his arm. "Really John, it's us who should be thanking you. You've shown an incredible amount of dedication in caring for her these past few days while we couldn't be here. It's obvious just how much that little girl—and her mother," she added with a twinkle in her eye, "Mean to you."

John smiled. "I can't thank you enough for trusting me this much, Mrs. Davidson." "For the last time, John, call me Viki." He smiled.

She saw the way his eyes kept wandering in the direction they had come from and she smiled understandingly. "John, go. The nurses are waiting to explain everything that you'll need to know."

He smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you again, Mrs.—Viki. I can't even begin to tell you how much this means to me."

She shook her head and waved him away, smiling as he left. If she hadn't been convinced that this was the right decision for everyone involved before, she certainly was now.

A few hours later John had gotten all of the instruction that he could from the nurses as Kevin and Kelly had installed the car seat in his car. He was on his way to Natalie's room with the baby when Viki stopped him.

"John, I hate to ask you to do anything more than what you're already doing for us—"

John held up a hand to stop her. "Mrs. Davidson—Viki," he quickly amended at the look in her eye, "I'm not doing anything that I should be thanked for."

Viki smiled and shook her head. "John, you are taking on an enormous responsibility that no one else is quite ready to handle and you have my eternal gratitude."

He opened his mouth to reply but she cut him off. "What I came here to talk to you about has to do with the baby. I think that she deserves to have a name when she goes home, and I was wondering if you would be willing to take on the role of naming her."

John smiled. "I would be honored, and that's simple. We—Natalie and me—discussed a lot of baby names, and she told me the night before she went into labor that she had decided that if she had a girl she wanted her name to be Cristina. I guess in all the confusion I didn't think to say anything—and I didn't want to overstep my bounds."

Viki smiled softly as she reached down and gently stroked the baby's cheek. "Cristina. It fits her quite well… in honor of Cristian?" John nodded and Viki smiled.

"I'll let you get on with your visit… I presume you'll be heading home after this?" John nodded, trying not to show how nervous he was at the thought of being alone in his hotel room with a baby.

Viki patted his arm. "You'll be fine, John. And you have my phone number, don't hesitate to call if you have any problems."

With that, she turned and walked away. John watched her go for a moment before he turned and walked into Natalie's room.

Though he knew he'd be back at least once a day until she woke up, John knew that he had to make one last attempt to bring her back to him… _No, _he mentally corrected himself, glancing down at the sleeping Cristina. _To us._

TO BE CONTINUED


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, don't sue.

**Author's Note: **Well, it took me quite a while to get the last 2 chapters out, and possibly even longer for this one to get done. I hope it was worth the wait, and Missy this one's for you:)

**Summary: **Natalie believes herself to be pregnant with an imposter's baby, but John knows the truth. Will he tell her or her so-called dead husband the truth, or will his own selfish desires keep the truth hidden until it's too late?

**Title: **Unexpected Complications 4/?

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty. You have two visitors." John smiled as he sat down in the chair by Natalie's bed, one arm carefully cradling Cristina as he took Natalie's hand with his free one.

"I just thought you should know… I named your beautiful little girl Cristina, just like you wanted. And I think you'd be pleased with where she's going when she leaves the hospital in a few minutes. Your mom asked me to take her in until things calm down at Llanfair or until…" He swallowed, letting the sentence hang unfinished.

"I promise that I'll do the best I can for your daughter, but you know what I think would be best?" He leaned in and Cristina made a small mewl of protest at the shift, but she calmed as John released Natalie's hand just long enough to tuck her blanket in a little tighter.

Taking her hand in his again, John finished what he had started to say. "The best thing in this world for your daughter would be for her mother to wake up. Come on sweetheart. Fight your way back to us, open those beautiful blue eyes of yours and look at your daughter for the first time."

His voice dropped to a whisper as he finished, "Open your eyes and look at me. I want Cristina to know her mother, but my reasons for wanting you to wake up are a hell of a lot more selfish I'll admit. Natalie, I'm terrified. I can't see my life without you in it, and I don't want to find out what it would be like. Please baby, just open your eyes."

His voice cracked, and he looked down as he wiped his eyes. His heart jumped when he felt Natalie's hand move in his, and he looked up. A smile broke out through his streaming tears when he saw Natalie's baby blue eyes looking back at him.

"John?"

Standing, he covered her face with kisses for just a second before Cristina began to cry. Natalie's eyes were filled with tears as John pulled back, keeping a tight grip on her hand, almost as though he was anchoring her to the world.

"Is that…?"

John nodded, smiling widely as he spoke.

"Natalie Buchanan, I have someone here I think you should meet." He gently handed Cristina over to her mother. As Natalie took in the beautiful face of her five-day old daughter her tears spilled over, and John leaned down to press a kiss against her forehead.

"She's so beautiful," Natalie whispered.

John smiled, nodding in agreement. "She gets more beautiful every day. But that's to be expected, given that her mother does too." He winked at Natalie, who laughed and shook her head.

"Man, I should go into a coma more often if this is what I'll wake up to."

John chuckled as he shook his head. "Don't worry, after this scare this is what you're going to be waking up to every morning. I'll never take another moment, another breath, another kiss for granted ever again." He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Natalie's lips.

Natalie was beaming when John pulled away, but after a moment her eyes began to cloud over.

"Go ahead and ask."

She looked at John bewildered, but the bewildered expression turned into love tinged with fear as she asked the question that had been haunting her since she had awoken. "How long was I in a coma?"

"Five days…. Ever since you gave birth to Cristina."

Natalie smiled as she looked down at her daughter, gently stroking the light matting of black hair that she already had. "Cristina… I can't believe you remembered."

John smoothed Natalie's bangs back and smiled. "I remember a lot more than you might think." Their eyes locked and held for what seemed like an eternity before he looked away, directing his gaze towards the baby.

"Five days…" Natalie murmured, her mind going back. "What would have happened to Cristina if I had never woken up? And has she been here at the hospital this entire time?"

"Actually… Yeah, she's been here. But the doctors decided today that she should be taken home and gotten settled."

"Who was going to take her?" Natalie asked. In her heart she seemed to remember John's words, the words that had woken her from the grips of the coma, but she needed to know for sure.

"Your mom asked me to. We were actually going to be heading home in just a few minutes, but I knew that I had to come in here one more time."

Natalie smiled warmly. "You were going to take care of my daughter." Her voice was filled with love and pride, but not a trace of surprise. After all, she knew the kind of man John McBain was.

"Yeah… I think of her as my own already. I hope that's all right with you?"

Natalie carefully shifted the sleeping Cristina to one arm and used her now free hand to take John's and bring it to her lips, kissing it gently.

"That's more than 'all right' with me, John. I love you so much already, but I think those words just made me fall in love with you a little bit more." Her eyes twinkled as John leaned in for another kiss.

"Sorry to interrupt bro but I heard that we have a beautiful new mother who has finally woken up in here?" Michael said, grinning when he saw mother and child.

John nodded and looked at Natalie. "I guess I'll get of here and let Mikey work his magic. But I'll be back as soon as your family gets done with you."

Natalie seemed to glow as John gently kissed her cheek and turned to leave.

"John? Think that you could take Cristina while I check Natalie out? You can stay in the room if Natalie doesn't mind."

"I don't mind at all… Unless John has something that he needs to do." She looked up at him questioningly, and John's heart swelled as he nodded.

"I'd love to stay." He gently took Cristina into his arms and calmed her when she began to cry. Natalie watched them as Michael did the cursory examination, unable to believe just how good he was with the baby. It warmed her heart more than anything else on earth did.

"One hundred percent healthy," Michael announced a few moments later. "We'll want to keep you in the hospital for a couple of days, just for observation and a few other tests, but you should be out of her by Saturday."

Natalie smiled. "Thanks, Michael." He grinned back at her and leaned down to hug her.

"Welcome back, kid. It was pretty dull here without you around to bust my chops."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll remedy that quickly enough." Natalie winked at Michael and whispered in his ear, "Thank you." As he pulled away, he answered her with a wink and began to walk to the door.

Just as he reached the door, Michael turned around. "Oh, and John? I still think that its best for you to take Cristina home—to wherever her home is going to be—and start getting her adjusted."

John nodded. "If its what Natalie wants."

Michael grinned. "You can bring her back anytime Natalie wants to see her." Lowering his voice to a whisper he added, "Linda, the night nurse is very fond of chocolate. Give her a box and she'll let you in." He winked as Natalie laughed.

"Seriously though," he said, his voice reverting back to normal, "It'll be much better for Cristina to get used to her new surroundings sooner rather than later. It won't be so hard for her to adjust." He smiled again as he walked out.

"He's right, you know. You should take Cristina home, let my family smother me until tomorrow."

"I'll take her home later. For now, I want to let your family smother you and then I want to smother you a bit more. Besides, I think that you and your daughter need a little more quality time."

Natalie beamed as he gently placed Cristina back in her arms and turned to leave.

"Visiting hours are over."

John nodded reluctantly, and the nurse pinned him with a glare as she folded her arms over her chest.

Leaning forward to press a kiss to Natalie's cheek, he whispered in her ear, "I love you. We'll be back first thing in the morning."

"I'm looking forward to it. I love you… both of you." Natalie smiled at the sight of her two dark-haired loves standing in front of her.

"I love you too." John blew her a kiss, an action that was so out of character for him that it made Natalie want to laugh but it was so sweet that she couldn't, and quickly left the room after giving Linda a sheepish grin.

Linda smiled at Natalie as she dimmed the lights. "That is some man you've got there. Hold on tight to him."

"Oh, I plan to." Natalie smiled warmly at the nurse as she walked out of the room.

As John carefully fastened Cristina into her small car seat his fears of just hours earlier were gone. He was confident that he and the small baby would get by just fine until Natalie got home.

TO BE CONTINUED


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, don't sue.

**Author's Note: **I decided I should make up for the depressing content of my last one shot, so here you are—Jolie fluff (with a baby!). hehe Hope it balances out the scale!

**Summary: **Natalie believes herself to be pregnant with an imposter's baby, but John knows the truth. Will he tell her or her so-called dead husband the truth, or will his own selfish desires keep the truth hidden until it's too late?

**Title: **Unexpected Complications 5/?

"Your mommy is getting out of the hospital today," John said, smiling down at Cristina. "And we're going to make sure that you look beautiful when we go to pick her up."

Setting her down in the crib, John went to the small drawer filled with the baby clothes everyone had given Cristina.

"Hmm, what about this?" he said, picking up a small pink dress and carrying it over to the crib. He held it up and Cristina waved her tiny fists in the air at it.

John chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes." He carefully dressed her after checking her diaper and smiled at how beautiful she looked.

"Your mom is going to be so proud of you for being such a good girl these past three days." He smiled thinking of how easy taking care of the little girl he already loved so much had proven to be.

He had gone to the hospital for four or five hours each day to let Natalie spend time with her daughter, but other than that he had stuck close to home. Cristina had enough visitors to keep them occupied, and when everyone had left John had found that he loved being alone with her.

John reached down to place his finger in Cristina's tiny palm, and his heart swelled with love as she closed her fist around it. He smiled down at her as she cooed and brought her other hand into play.

"I can't believe how much I'm going to miss you," he whispered. He and Natalie had talked about things, and they'd decided it was best for the living situation to remain as it was for now. She and Cristina would stay at the carriage house while he stayed in his hotel room.

They didn't want to rush things, but John wished that they could have found another situation. He loved being with this gorgeous little girl at every possible moment, and her sleep schedule didn't bother him since it actually resembled his own. He knew that he would still be around Cristina a lot, but he also knew that it just wouldn't be the same.

John jumped slightly when his cell phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket, keeping his eyes on Cristina as he answered it. "McBain."

"Hey."

"Natalie," John said with no small amount of surprise. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just got released a little earlier than I thought. Can you come pick me up now?"

"We'll be there in a few minutes," John said.

"Okay, thanks." Natalie hung up and sighed. She had heard Cristina in the background, and she had also heard the pain in John's voice. She was almost sure of the cause, and she hated it.

"No problem," John said into the dead line and hung up. "Well, it looks like we get to go pick Mommy up a little earlier than I thought," he said, smiling at Cristina. He gently took his finger back and picked her up.

John almost laughed at the pout on Natalie's face as she sat in the wheelchair, but quickly swallowed it as she glared at him. "But I can walk! I don't understand why I have to go out in this stupid thing."

"It's hospital policy, ma'am. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well, hospital policy sucks." She sat back in the wheelchair and crossed her arms over her chest, the pout intensifying. She looked so much like a petulant child that John couldn't hold in his laughter this time.

"What are you laughing at McBain?" Natalie snapped, refusing to look at him.

"Nothing," he said as his laughter died down. "Would this make you feel better?" he asked quickly, gently placing Cristina into her arms.

Her face softening into a smile, Natalie nodded. "Yeah, that helps a lot." She looked up at John. "Thank you, and I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"It's fine. I know how much you hate anything that makes you feel weak or helpless, but this will all be over in just a few minutes."

"The sooner the better," she muttered, returning her gaze to her daughter. "She looks so beautiful. Did you pick out her outfit?" she asked, looking back at John, who nodded. "Wow. Who knew that you had such good fashion sense?"

John looked pained as he asked, "Let's keep that little tidbit between us, okay?"

"I won't tell a soul."

"Pinky swear?" he asked, holding up his pinky.

Natalie smiled as she gently extracted one arm and hooked her pinky on his. "Pinky swear."

"All right. Now let's break you out of here, shall we?"

"I was about to pack all of her clothes and everything when you called. Do you want me to go do that now or later?" John asked. Cristina was settled and sleeping in her crib, and Natalie was sitting on her bed looking exhausted.

"Can you do it later? Right now I just want to sleep."

Nodding, John turned to walk to the door. "All right. Call me if you need—"

"John, actually I was wondering…" She bit her lower lip and looked down at the floor when John turned back around.

"Could you stay and just hold me? I'm a little nervous about being alone with her," Natalie said softly. "And I always sleep better when you're with me."

"I'd love to stay," he replied. "But you're going to have to be alone with her sometime."

"I know. I just… I don't want you to go yet."

John watched as she pulled the covers back and climbed into bed, turning on her side. He pulled his shirt off, draping it across the back of a chair and lifted the covers up, slipping into the bed.

Natalie sighed as he pulled her into his arms, and she rested her chin on his chest as her eyelids fluttered shut. With a deep sigh, she was asleep.

TO BE CONTINUED


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, don't sue.

**Author's Note: **Well I was thinking about it and I realized that I haven't shown John feeling guilty in a while—so this chapter is a bit bittersweet because I had to add that in. Guilt makes John what he is, and goodness knows he'd be having an extra helping of it in this case.

**Title: **Unexpected Complications 6/?

"Hey, little one," John said softly, smiling down at Cristina. "It's time for you to eat, isn't it?" He gently lifted her from the crib. "Come on, I'll go fix your bottle."

He had woken up a few minutes earlier and come to check on Cristina to find her wide-awake and cooing softly to herself. He knew that he should go wake Natalie so that she could get used to the baby's routine, but he didn't, wanting her to get as much rest as possible.

John was quiet as he watched Cristina eat. Her beautiful crystal-blue eyes were firmly fixed on his and he found himself getting lost in them as she drank her bottle. He walked over to the white rocking chair in the living room and sat down, beginning to rock slowly.

_I wonder if she'll have Cristian's eyes._ The thought came unbidden, dashing the beautiful moment as the guilt rolled over him in dark crashing waves. He sighed and leaned down to brush a soft kiss across Cristina's forehead.

_Maybe I should tell Natalie the truth. _To be honest, there were a few reasons he hadn't done so and they were all selfish. He didn't think he could stand losing her and he had known with certainty that he couldn't stand losing the precious baby he'd started thinking of as his own weeks before her birth.

"None of that has changed," he whispered, gently brushing back a small strand of dark hair from Cristina's forehead. "I can't lose your mom, and I can't lose you either. You two are all I've got."

"John?" Natalie quietly padded down the few remaining stairs and walked into the living room, smiling at the sight of John rocking and feeding Cristina. "And just what are you doing?"

John smiled sheepishly. "Feeding the baby?"

Natalie couldn't help but giggle at his sheepish expression and she shook her head. "Aren't you supposed to be letting me get used to her routine and all that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think that means letting me sleep through her feeding."

"I know. It's just—You looked so peaceful, and I know that you need your rest."

"Thank you, but what I need is to start getting up with her. May I?" she asked, gesturing to Cristina and the bottle.

"Oh, of course. She's almost finished but you can take over from here." He stood up and gently handed Cristina to her mother.

John smiled softly as he watched Natalie with Cristina. She was as perfect with her daughter as he had always imagined she would be, and he felt himself wishing that he could be with them every night this way… But he would do whatever Natalie asked of him, no matter how much it tore him apart inside.

Natalie looked up and smiled as she caught John watching her with the baby. Their eyes caught and held in an intense gaze for what seemed like an eternity before she finally broke the gaze, looking back down at Cristina with her thoughts racing.

"John?" she asked quietly after a moment had passed.

"Yeah?"

"I was just wondering… I mean, I know I said I'd like for us to take things slow but I was thinking—" She bit her lip and took a deep breath. "You're so good with Cristina and well… I've missed you a lot," she said softly. "I'd like to have you nearby and I think Cristina would too. So if you want to maybe you'd consider moving in?"

John was silent as he studied Natalie, trying to gauge her mood and the reason behind her asking. After a long moment he smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Natalie returned the smile and opened her mouth to speak, but Cristina chose that moment to finish off her bottle and began to fuss, calling her mother's attention back to her.

TO BE CONTINUED


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I own Peter! The other characters I am only borrowing for an unspecified amount of time—I'll have them back good as new in time for tomorrow's episode though, okay? (Oh—and I'm making no money off of this so don't sue!)

**Author's Note: **Time jump! LOL This chapter takes place about a month and a half after chapter 6.

**Title: **Unexpected Complications 7/?

"Wait here," the bored-looking guard told John after leading him to a chair before disappearing through the gray doors.

After a few minutes he took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself as he saw the guard lead 'John Doe'—known to John to be Cristian Vega—into the visiting room. He sat down and picked up the phone as John picked up his end.

"What brings you here McBain?" Cristian nearly growled into the phone. He had heard from a prisoner who had been busted by John that the man was now particularly cozy with his wife.

"I should have told you this when I found out but—"

"Cut the crap. I know," Cristian said darkly, pinning John with a hard gaze.

"You know?" John asked slowly. "Know what exactly?"

"I know that you're with my wife. How does it feel McBain? To have her nestled in your arms every morning, to feel her soft hair brushing across your—"

"That's enough," John said loudly, trying to fight the blinding rage threatening to overcome him. "That's enough," he repeated, lowering his voice to a normal volume. "That's not what I came to talk to you about."

"Really? To what _do _I owe the pleasure of this visit then?"

John sighed. "You have a daughter."

Cristian sat back in his chair and blinked. "What?" he finally managed to choke out after a few minutes.

"Natalie found out she was pregnant a few hours after I found out that you were really Cristian… It was too late to stop your transport to Statesville so I decided it would be best to keep my mouth shut for then."

"And what about later?" Cristian asked angrily. "You didn't think it would be in anyone's best interest to let me in on this?"

"Look, I'm sorry okay? But it was your decision to cut yourself out of Natalie's life and let her believe that the man she loved was dead, not mine. I figured that you gave up any rights you might have had when you chose to let her suffer through that again."

Cristian nodded, obviously still trying to fight his temper but somehow managing to stay calm. "So why tell me now?"

"Cristina's two months old now and—Natalie wants me to adopt her."

"Cristina?" Cristian asked softly.

"Yeah—in your honor," John replied, pulling a small photo from his wallet and sending it over to his side. Cristian picked up the picture and studied it—the photo had been taken by John in a special moment and showed Natalie curled up on the bed talking softly to Cristina.

"She's beautiful," Cristian finally managed to whisper after several moments. He lifted his head to meet John's gaze. "Can I keep this?" he asked, holding the picture up.

"That's why I brought it."

"Thanks," he replied. "So—you want to tell Natalie the truth?"

John nodded. "But first I thought that maybe—" He hesitated.

"You thought what?"

"I thought that what with Llanview's bad track record with DNA tests—the way they all come up being fixed—that maybe you'd submit to another one first? This one would be to prove once and for all that you are Cristian Vega and—"

"To prove that I'm Cristina's father?" Cristian guessed.

"Yeah."

"I think that'd be a good idea. Why break Natalie's heart again if this does turn out to be some fixed DNA test?"

"Okay. I'll get Peter Gallagher on the next flight out here—he's one of the best DNA technicians there is and one of the few who cannot be bribed. We've tested him numerous times and never once has he taken the bait."

"Ever think maybe he saw you guys coming?"

"No—I've known Peter since we were in second grade together. He's a good man, one of the best we've got." He stood up when the guard signaled. "Guess it's time to go. I'll call the warden with more details later."

Cristian stood up as well, making sure to grab the picture of Natalie and Cristina. "All right. Thanks."

"No problem." He moved to hang up the phone.

"McBain?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for taking care of them," Cristian managed to force out before hanging up and turning to leave with the guard.

"My pleasure," John whispered to the dead air before hanging up and turning to follow his own guard from the visitor's room.

"Hey, there's the man you've been crying for the last half hour," Natalie said gratefully as John walked in the room.

As if corroborating her statement Cristina's cries immediately subsided and she smiled happily as John plucked her from Natalie's arms and kissed her forehead. "How are my favorite girls?" he asked, leaning in to give Natalie a short sweet kiss on the lips.

"Just peachy," Natalie replied with a smile. She loved how good John was with her daughter; it made her heart melt.

"Good. I was thinking that maybe for dinner tonight—" The ring of his cell phone cut him off. "Hold that thought."

He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the Caller ID to see 'Peter Gallagher' flashing. "I have to take this."

"Want me to take the baby?"

"Nah, we're fine. I'll be right back." He walked into the living room and flipped his phone open. "McBain."

"Hey John. Got your message—just tell me when and where."

Glancing back to check that Natalie was well out of earshot John nonetheless spoke softly as he whispered, "Statesville Prison in Llanview, Pennsylvania ASAP."

"Give me a second to go through the computer," Peter replied, balancing the phone between his head and his neck as he switched the computer on and called up his schedule.

"Looks like I'm clear for a cross-country flight, two DNA tests and a return trip starting tomorrow night. That soon enough for you?"

"That would be great. Listen Peter, I know that you've got a lot of people—"

"Do me a favor and can the speech McBain. This is gonna cost you quite a few big ones—or maybe just the truth behind how exactly Kathleen Baker came to the conclusion—and then proceeded to spread said conclusion around—that I liked to watch gay porn to 'get in the mood.'"

John laughed at the memory. "Sorry man. I was jealous as hell that you got such a knockout to go out with you—it didn't help that Kathleen had laughed in my face when I asked her out a week earlier."

"You're forgiven Johnny. Now about this test—"

"Listen, I can't really talk now. Give me a call once you land and I'll come meet you, explain everything all right?"

"That's fine. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"See you tomorrow night, and Peter—thanks." He hung up without waiting for a response.

John looked down at the content baby girl in his arms and sighed as he leaned down and kissed her forehead again, cradling her head gently in his free hand.

By this time tomorrow night he knew that there was every possibility that his, Natalie's and Cristina's lives would have been changed forever.

TO BE CONTINUED


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **Well, I guess that if losing the Net is good for anything at least it makes me write more! Hope you enjoy!

**A/N2: **Okay, this Seth exchange has been in my head for _months_—so glad I finally found a place to put it!

**Title: **Unexpected Complications 8/?

"Peter Gallagher in the flesh," John said sarcastically but his tone was not without affection as his friend walked over to him from the baggage claim.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Peter asked with a grin. "It's been what, a year?"

"At least," John replied. "You look good. How are Kathy and the kids?"

"They're good. And how is this Natalie of yours? Any chance I might finally get to meet the woman who can make you smile like that just by mentioning her name?"

John chuckled; he had smiled as soon as Peter had spoken Natalie's name and hadn't even noticed until he had pointed it out. "Yeah, but she can't know anything about this test."

Peter nodded. "I know, it's very hush-hush."

"More than you know," John replied darkly.

Raising an eyebrow in surprise and interest, Peter looked at John and waited for the explanation he knew was coming.

"The subject is one John Doe—he masqueraded as Cristian Vega, Natalie's husband, for several months and was found out around nine months ago. Not too long before he went to Statesville Prison for murder the DNA test I had done on him came back—they said he really was Cristian. I told him—"

"And he chose to let Natalie and all of Llanview believe that he was really dead instead of a murder?" Peter guessed.

John nodded, not surprised by Peter's intuition. He had always been one of the best at figuring out what motivated people, yet another reason why he had shocked so many people when he had chosen to go into his field of work rather than criminal justice.

"And there's more… Natalie found out she was pregnant the day after he went to Statesville."

Peter whistled. "Damn you have dug yourself in deep… So if this test does confirm that this is Cristian Vega you're what, going to tell Natalie the whole sordid truth?"

"Yeah, I've got to."

"And if it's negative?"

John sighed. "I think I'm still going to tell her everything."

"Way to make the right decision Johnny," Peter said, grinning as he clapped John on the back. "Now what do you say we start for the car? These bags aren't exactly light."

"Natalie, this is Peter Gallagher, an old friend of mine."

Natalie smiled as she took in Peter's appearance. He was built tall and lean; his short black hair and emerald green eyes enhancing the handsome ruggedness of his face. And he had a killer smile, one of the best she'd seen.

This was what was running through Natalie's brain as she extended her hand and shook his firmly. She noted with happiness that he didn't hold back on his handshake just because of her sex like so many men did. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to finally meet the woman who was able to get through to this blockhead and put that smile back in his eyes," Peter replied with a wink.

"Yeah well he didn't make it easy," Natalie said with a wink in John's direction. "But it was definitely worth the effort," she tacked on fondly.

"So how long have you and John known each other?" Natalie asked later that night over dinner.

"Since second grade—do I have some stories I could tell you!" Peter replied, grinning wickedly.

John began to choke at Peter's words. After a moment he finally cleared his throat and glared at him. "You won't be telling her _anything_," he said firmly, trying to be threatening.

"You know Johnny, intimidation works better when you lose the scratchy weak voice," Peter pointed out with a grin.

Natalie laughed. "Okay, now I have to hear these stories."

"No, you really don't," John replied firmly.

"Oh come on Johnny, be a sport!" He turned to Natalie without waiting for a reply. "Okay, I've got one. Back when we were freshman in high school there was this girl named Suzanne Finnerman—the most beautiful girl in our school…"

"Hey, anyone else hear Cristina crying?" John asked loudly.

"No, I think that's just you honey. Okay, so what were you saying about this Suzanne?"

"Well I'm going to check." John slid his chair backward and stood up, kissing the top of Natalie's head on his way out of the room and trying to ignore her laughter as Peter continued his story.

"Hey, you never came back," Natalie said softly from the doorway of Cristina's nursery watching John rock in the rocking chair and watch Cristina sleep.

"I've just been watching her sleep," he replied, his eyes never leaving the baby. "She's so beautiful, so innocent."

Natalie stepped into the room and walked over to her daughter's crib, joining John in watching her sleep. "I know," she whispered finally.

"Peter go to bed?"

"Yeah, half an hour ago. I was waiting for you to come up but you never did." Her voice was soft but he could hear the slight hurt she tried to hide.

"I'm sorry," he replied, looking away from Cristina and directly at her for the first time. "I just—I don't like talking about the past."

Natalie reached down and took his hand into hers, squeezing it gently. "I know how that can be. I've got a lot of my own skeletons you know."

"You? Nah," John said, smiling slightly as he winked at her.

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Natalie replied, settling herself on John's lap and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"This I have to hear. How about one for each story Peter told you?"

She considered for a moment and then smiled, nodding in agreement. "I think that's fair. But this could take a while—want to move it upstairs?"

John glanced at the clock and noted that Cristina wouldn't need to be fed again for another two hours or so. "Yeah, I think that'd be good," he said, leaning in and brushing a soft kiss across her lips.

"So, how do you want to do this?" Natalie asked as she settled herself on the bed. John was sitting up with his legs crossed and her head was resting on his knee. "You want to answer a question or should I just go?"

"Either way," John said softly, absentmindedly stroking her hair. "Whatever makes you feel the most comfortable."

"Okay," she replied uncertainly. "I think that you'd better just ask questions—I have no idea where I would even begin."

"All right—why did you come to Llanview?"

"Because Allison Perkins came knocking on my door and told me that I was the long-lost Buchanan princess and that everything I deserved was being stolen by some two-bit piece of trash who deserved to be knocked off her pedestal. Of course Allison conveniently left out the fact that the 'two-bit piece of trash' was in reality my twin sister and that the Buchanans had no idea I even existed."

"And then?" John gently pressed.

With a sigh Natalie continued. "I'm not proud of what I did next—I came to Llanview with my boyfriend Seth Anderson hell-bent on destroying Jessica Buchanan and claiming what was mine."

"Seth Anderson? I thought that was one of Jess's boyfriends?"

"Oh he was—see, I had him pretend to fall for Jessica while I played the sweet best friend so that we could gather evidence to get a DNA test done. Too bad Seth was a little too good at his part."

"You're saying he fell for Jessica while he was with you?" John asked incredulously.

"Yeah, that's the short of it."

"What, was he stupid?"

Natalie let out a giggle and turned so that she could look up at him. "You're sweet," she said affectionately.

"I mean it—how could someone go from you to Jess?" he asked, gently cupping her cheek with his hand. "No offense to your sister but she can't hold a candle to your beauty, your fire—"

"John?" Natalie interrupted breathlessly.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

"With pleasure," he murmured, leaning down and taking her lips in a soft but heated kiss.

TO BE CONTINUED


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